Picture display device



Feb. 4, 1936. o, c. DENNIS PICTURE DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 24, 1954Fia?.

Eig;

Patented Feb. 4, 1936 UNITED STATES PICTURE DISPLAY DEVICE Oliver C.Dennis, Wilmette, Ill.

Application May 24, 1934, serial N0. 727,308

' 4c1aims. (01.40-28) My invention relates in general to picture displaydevices and in particular to a small `lm carrying device for holding inthe hand, to vbe operated by .the fingers.

Various small lm display structures are in use Y' at the present time,but in most of these devices their utility is somewhat limited by theirsize, and

the mechanism employed in each case is complicated enough to increasethe cost of the entire device beyond that which would be warranted inview of its limited utility and novelty. In each of these devicesmechanical means are provided for moving the film across a viewingaperture. Inasmuch as most of these employ a sprocket wheel arrangementfor accomplishing the movement of the lm, the film itself must beperforated along the edges to receive the teeth of the sprocket wheel.This of course somewhat increases the cost of the lm, and in turn addsto the cost of the entire device.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved picture displaydevice.

A further object is to provide a small, simple device of this characterwhich will require no mechanical structure for moving the film therein.

One of the features of my invention is that the film may be moved acrossthe film viewing aperture simply by engaging said lm directly by thefingers.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a. very simplecasing for the film which may be cast in a mold with the use of theordinary molding compounds, and

It is also an object to provide a low-cost, sturdy device which isattractive in appearance and novel in operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription taken with the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my assembled casing.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the rear of the casing.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the device with one of the two parts of thecasing removed.

Fig. 5 is a plan view similar to that of Fig. 4, with the lm strip,removable guide plate and lens removed from said casing.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 'I is a sectional view along the line 'I-'I of Fig. 1, looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the removable lm guide plate.

In. practicing my invention I provide a small casing for carrying apicture lm with said casing having corresponding film lighting and filmviewing apertures on opposite sides thereof, and fLlm guide means in thecasing. The device is adapted to be held in one hand, and placed withthe lm viewing aperture to one eyeof the operator. Openings are providedin the casing permitting engagement of the lingers directly with theiilm to move the iilm across the line of vision through the viewingaperture.

Small devices to be carried in the hand for displaying picture lm stripshave become popular in recent years for the purpose of displaying scenicviews, and other pictures lending themselves to collection in a series.Most of these devices, although perhaps enjoying a. popular acceptance,have been limited in their sales because of the high cost as compared tothe utility and entertainment value of the devices. Means for moving andguiding the iilm within the casing ordinarily required a number ofstamped metal parts, in addition to parts of the casing, and because ofthis considerable number of parts, the cost of material and assemblyamounted to an appreciable sum. As illustrated inthe drawing, and aswill be hereinafter described, I overcome these diiiiculties byproviding a' molded casing III consisting of a pair of correspondinglyshaped, fitted members Il :and I2. The ordinary molding compounds havebeen found suitable for tl'1e casing.

Each of the molded sections II and'l2 ,includes a lm carryingcampartment I3 at that p thereof, and a second lm carryingcomp'a ment atthe bottom. A semi-circular' slotvv I is provided in each of thesections, and when assembled provides a film-lighting aperture A asshown in Fig. 2. At the rear of each section a semi-circular portion I1,when tted together comprises the film-viewing aperture B shown in Fig.3. A passageway I8 for the transmission of light is providedtransversely of the casing between the two apertures and intermediatethe film-carrying compartments I3 and I4. A lens I9 carried in slots 2|adjacent the aperture I'I improves the visibility when viewing the lm.

A film strip 22 is carried freely in the casing and moved fromcompartment I3 to compartment I4 or vice versa solely by engagement ofthe lingers of the operator with the edge of the lm. 'I'his isaccomplished by providingopenings-23 on each edge of the front face ofthe casing and above and below the aperture A as selves will directthelm 22 'so that it may be fil shown Figs. land 2. The'openings are shapedso that the edge ofy the lm 22 projects far enough into the same topermitg'rlppingof the',

edge by the ilngers.l Inasmuch as only the edge is gripped, no injurycan result to the lm, and f with the film carriedfreely in the 'casingonly a very slight pressure of the fingers is necessary.

to move'the film. This constructionobviates the necessity of anyfllmmoving mechanism such as has formerly beenV employed -as well as theperforated lm.

The small film strip-employed in a device of" this character isoriginally. supplied in an elon` gated, at piece.. Ordinarily it isnecessary to form the film in a separate operation to produce theAcurled configuration necessary to feed it from" one compartment to theother. In my device, however, I provide lm guideways which inrthemrolled in its straight form with the ends bent at 24, inserted inthe casing, and then directed v from' one compartment to the other bymeans of'v such guideways. The guiding is accomplished by a curved wallin each compartment as shown particularly in Fig. 5, with a short curvedpro'- jection 26 integral with thewalls of the passage I8 to curve theend of the film slightly as it passes this point. vThe operation of thiswill be apparent from a consideration of Fig. .4', wherein the film 22is shown with its ends-24 at different positions in its movementfromcompartment I3 to compartment I4, or vice versa.

Further guidance of the lm is providedin the removable plate 21whichincludes an elon'- gated body portion apertured at. 28 intermediatethe ends thereof, and having an'outwardly and the passage I8: when theplate is'assembled in guiding position in vthe casing.` terminate at 32so as toprovide a .narrow-.pase

sage between the'wall of the casing and these l y ing comprisinga pairofV correspondingly shaped end points 32. y

In assembling the film in the casing it-is rolled asuilicient amount tot into one compartment, and the outer end thereof pulled into the'othercompartment so as .to extend past the aperture `'IIS as shown inFig.- 4.The'guideplate v2'I'.is V

then inserted in back of the lm with thejears *y Y29 fitting into'thepassage Isin theirrearwardlyl extending portions '30 with-the stops .3|"resting against the wallsends 32. The two membersl I I- and I2 arethen'gfit'ted 'together and the vguide/ vone' ,compartment to another; fI- -1 plate is .held rmly in position so as'to guide the film across thevaperture I6 yand holdit at-the` ing .comprising a pair ofcorrespondingly-is'hape members for fitting together jto. yprovide.-filmcarrying compartmentsat the top vand `b'ott1.i m` of said' c`asin`g','afilm. carried insaid. compari? openings 23. The two members II and I2are secured together by -means `vincluding' a pair. of

fitted `posts 33fand. 34 extending' vertically in the center of eachofthe compartments I3 and|4 respectively. `One"of the two halves of thepost 33 has a projection 36 .thereon adapted to t in.`

a corresponding cavity 31. in the other half (Fig. Post 34 has asimilarlprojection 38 and a corresponding cavity 39 as shown in Fig. .'7. Justbefore fitting the twoparts together a .drop of cement is placed .in acavity4 to retain the corresponding projection whenjit is insertedtherein.'- It is understood that other means may bezem.-

ployed, such as a removable pin` extending through the posts, or ascrew, to secure the twocarrying vthe rmovedff;r 1 f A ratherlongs'ection of film-may' be' used,with

the length' limited only. by thesize of' eachA ofV thereby; but limit itonly 'hy-'the 'scope of. the

bers for fitting together toprovide Vfilm carrying 2.-

' onecompartment to the other,l a nlm-viewing mitting ngermovementdirectly on the lm to other. v

ing comprising' al pair'A of correspondingly'shaped permitting fingerengagement ofthelm to move the same. lWithin the range of the viewingmeans The Vwalls ing the same.

' .ryin'gy compartments atthe top jand bottom of said casing, a filmcarriedthereing.anim-lighting aperture-at one lside of thepcasingiand'ailm-r apertureto. direct the lm. across said aperture, an'dfr'neanswherebyv saidiilm may be fgripp'ed'.

"'guidew'ays inf each` compartment integrall with-ffv halves vof .thecasing-together, but thecemented f locking 'providesl avery'inexpensive"means adaptedfor rapid assembly.- I

-Iri viewvofthe exceptionally low cost ofl'the manufacture of. mydeviceit has found'favor as .5 an advertising medium, and in such use it'hasfbeen-.found :moreadvisable to' cement the two vparts offthe' casing'together sothat thel M advertising message ycannot bere- 1j` Y thecarrying vcompartments I3' and 4.jA The de vice is 'very' neatappearing, and; beingv made with molding compounds it possible: to getany del5 casing. q m Although I have shownfmy invention inl itspreferred em'bodiment, Iy do V'not limit myself sired shape, `color ordesign .for the "exterior of the 2O appended claims. I-claim:

casing having two correspondingly shaped mem'- compartments at the topandbottomof said casing, a'lm carriedin the compartment, a. removablevguide plateforA guiding the `nlm from aperture at. one. side of thecasing, and'a film :io I lighting aperture at the other, and means perfmove said lm from one'compartment vto the 2;' In al picturedisplaydevice, arnoldedcas'f` ai members adapted to t together` to form av iilmcarryingfcompartment, a.' film .carried therein, means insaidfcasin'gfor viewing thelrn, means *l and removablelguide means for'said lm in mov- 3. '.Inv a picturev display device,V-`V a 'moldedfcasemembers fortting together tov provide film carviewing aperture'. at-vthe other side f' thereof vguide, ,l means-forthe lm-in each ofthecompartments, a removable' guide plate 'adjacentlsaidnlighting' directlyby fthe] fingers; to "move f saidflmf from 4f; a picture display-Vdevice, amld'ed v ca ments, a, nlm-lighting .aperture at onev side' ofthev casing and a film-viewing 'aperture'f at the` other side, a walledpassage between said apen-a' tures intermediate said compartments,molded the casing, and. aremovable'- guide plate at .the flighting-aperture 'end'offsaid passage;and r'hearls` on'saidplatelengaging the'walls'of Athepassage' I to positionthe plate to guidethe lmacross saidV lighting aperture upon movement of said film.. '1- OLIVERC.

